Mega Man 9

This isn’t a megaton announcement, but it is Mega news. Mega Man 9 is dated and ready to roll on to your Wii’s on Sept. 22, according to the Capcom blog. Yes, the pure goodness that is a retro Mega Man is coming. Can I get a hell yeah?

The PlayStation Network gets the game second on Sept. 25. Lastly, the game will appear on Xbox Live Oct. 1.

Lastly, if you haven’t seen it, Capcom has been sending out these awesomely retro press kits. They look exactly like a NES copy replete with awesome box art and faux NES cartridge.

Someone got his hands on a Mega Man 9 poster and put it on eBay. I’m more surprised to discover that such a piece of game art exists. I’ve seen the theoretical box art to a Mega Man 9 and the eBay poster is pretty much the same thing on 18-by-24-inch paper.

If you’re looking for more interesting video game decor for your home, you should check out some I am 8-bit prints on A Paper Tiger. Of course, these things aren’t cheap. They’re $100 for some pieces, but they are pretty artsy. Personally, I wish I could buy the Great Showdowns (of the 8-bit era) piece.

Capcom released art for three bosses inMega Man 9. From the looks of it, they all look eerily similar to some past foes. Concrete Man, above, looks like Guts Man from the original Mega Man.

Meanwhile, Tornado Man’s powers kind of reminds me of Air Man from Mega Man 2. But Magma Man looks like Air Man. OK,OK, I know it’s really confusing so you should just check out the images on the jump.

While I was on vacation, Danny picked up the pace, dishing out a double dose of features.
1. The first was his Madden NFL 09 fantasy cheat sheet, where he used the ratings for every player in creating a list of the best quarterback, running back, tight end, etc. It could help fans choose players in their upcoming fantasy drafts.

2. The second feature focuses on PAX 10. Danny sent questions to the 10 finalists and got nine answers. For those interested in indie games, it’s a great way to see what makes these developers tick. Personally, I’m a fan of Audiosurf.

3. In other gaming news this week, a little device called the iPhone 3G came out. There were long lines and minor — OK big — hiccups with activation. For those who were able to actually get their iPhone started/upgraded, they had a chance to try out some of the new apps.

4. When it comes to reviews, we’ve handed off a few titles to some of the newspaper staff, and they’re becoming regulars when it comes to writing about games. On Tuesday, Patrick Cant, soccer fan extraordinaire, posted his review of Pro Evolusion Soccer 2008. Big surprise: He liked it. But he delves into the nitty-gritty of all these footy leagues and such.

5. On Wednesday, fellow staff member Wes Schwengels tackled Top Spin 3 for the Wii. Suffice to say, he didn’t like it too much. He felt that PAM should have put more effort on the sim aspect of the title. But he did like Maria Sharapova. Did he mention that she’s quite lovely?

7. Lastly, there’s this event called E3 going down in Los Angeles this week. We obviously haven’t said this enough so we’ll say it again until your ears bleed. We’ll be down there covering the upcoming games for you, our dear readers and we’d love your input. If you want to check out a list of games were expecting/hoping to see, check out our E3 2008 index.

It’s a long list and we’re expecting it to get longer as the week moves along.